In 1883, Col. Richard I. Dodge wrote what is arguably the best description of the Plains Indians and the world they lived in, circa 1880, 'Our Wild Indians; Thirty-Three Years Among The Red Man Of The Great West.' But 'Our Wild Indians' is so much more than just an anthropological culture study. Dodge enhanced the book's dialogue with a flood of his personal experiences, his Indian Wars combat stories, his reminisces of friendships and personal engagements with virtually all the Plains tribes between Canada and Mexico, as well as most of the era's famous chiefs and warriors.
When 'Our Wild Indians' was first published, it was wildly popular and a national best seller. It was then, as it still is now, because of Dodge's intimate knowledge of Plains Indians, his amazing breadth of military experiences on the Plains, and his smooth and easy to follow writing style. For these reasons, his book has kept a connection with the reading public for going on 140 years.
'Our Wild Indians' is still considered to be one of the best, and purist, prime sources for Native American historical research. But even better, 'Our Wild Indians' is just a great read. It is certainly non-fiction, but it reads like a good fiction book.